It feels great to finally check this one off! The scenery and exposure were as good or better than any mountain I've ever climbed. Took about 11.5 hours car to car with great weather and lots of photo breaks. Not as many people as I expected to see on a Saturday.

Camped at Boulderfield. Were planning on getting up at 4 to summit by sunrise but the winds were crazy even down in the Boulderfield. Decided it was safer to wait until sunrise to start. Winds were 60+ in the Keyhole and several other wind funnels (near the top of the trough, on the bend in the narrows, and on the summit). Had the summit to myself for about 30 minutes and tried to stagger around and take some pictures.

Went Lambs Slide to The Loft to Clarks Arrow to the Home Stretch and then rapped the Cables Route. Got to the Boulder Field and a monster storm hit. 60+ winds and snow, several in our group were blown over.

Climbed first via the Keyhole, then twice via the Loft. Once solo to spread a lost friends ashes. Longs is a special peak, attempted the Trough earlier this year but the mountains commonly harsh winds turned us back. Trip reports found here; http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=3400&parmuser=JB99&cpgm=tripuser; http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=5004&parmuser=JB99&cpgm=tripuser; http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=5152&parmuser=JB99&cpgm=tripuser

Most of our Denali team plus several friends met at Glacier Gorge TH for an attempt via the Trough route. We had decent weather, without wind, for the first half of the day then it started to snow. A great day out in RMNP!
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5 March 2005
Rkymtn and I got an early start on what was a beautiful Colorado winter day. The snow in the Trough wasn't consolidated so we had to kick step the whole way. It also meant we couldn't glissade on the way down. A long day but well worth the workout.

Finally made the summit at 4:00 p.m. on 04/10/09, 1 day before my birthday. This was my 4th attempt on a mountain that clearly had my number. 1st attempt resulted in a forced bivy (with nothing but the clothes I had) at 13,000 ft. on the other side of the Keyhole from the boulderfield in conditions that disallowed me from finding my way back to the notch. Winds were so violent that day that earlier I was knocked off my feet a few times in the Boulderfield. Loose powdery snow on slab rock was a little unnerving at times between the keyhole and trough. My partner Alex turned back halfway between the Keyhole and trough, feeling he wasn't strong and fast enough to make the summit and return to the keyhole before dark. Felt good to finally make this one, despite too much cloud cover for any views on the summit. Saw ptarmigan and a snowshoe hare on the way down below treeline.

Did the north face. When we were hiking up the night before, a large team was coming down telling us they had attempted four times to make it to the top but was not able to due to the winds. We still decided to keep going despite the strong winds on the way to the boulderfield. After a chilly night, we started out on the north face which was turned out to be a fun, interesting climb. We somehow forgot to bring our headlamps and had to repel in the dark, but other than that it was a great climb.

Sixth time up on the summit. The weather wa so perfect and beautiful, it felt like a mid-May afternoon...definately NOT March. Snow conditions in the Trough were less than stellar but it is still winter. Stable snow though. Summited with 5 others from 14ers.com. Great day!

I finally got a decent weather window to take a shot at Longs in winter, but it still didn't go down w/o a fight. High winds to Black Lake, but then it let up as we climbed. The Trough was in great shape, and the Narrows/Homestretch were reasonable with crampons. Longs is a formidable challenge in winter.

Hiked this one back in August 99, July 2000, and August 2001. A great trip with great variety of different styles of hiking. Getting to the summit was on the coolest things I have ever done. Looking forward to getting back there someday

Age, good health and cooperating weather were on my side that dayDate Climbed: Jul 27, 2004

Long's is a special mountain for me since I had no idea what a fourteener was before the idea of climbing one was thrown at me. I came prepared but owe a LOT of our day-hike's success to cooperating weather. Good health and age worked for me that day as well, something we all learn to appreciate as we get older :)